Nokia is launching a 4G network on the moon – no, really!

If there's one thing that annoys all tech lovers in equal measure, it's poor signal. It doesn't matter if you have the best phone in the world, everyone experiences blackspots every now and again.

Lots of different products and features attempt to combat this. Perhaps the most prominent is Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite, which allows iPhone 14 users to call for help, even when outside of cellular signal range. A similar approach can be seen in the Motorola Defy Satellite Link, which even goes one step further, allowing for regular communications, as well as emergency ones.

Now, Nokia are attempting something different to counter one of the largest signal-free zones – the moon. According to a CNBC report earlier this week, the Finnish tech giant have plans to install a 4G LTE network on the moon's surface.

Their hope is to lay the groundwork for future human presence their, as well as providing better connection for control of the rover it lands in. They say it could provide remote control, and allow for real-time video and telemetry data to be streamed back to Earth. The network can also be used for communications between astronauts and mission control.

The hardware has been specially designed to deal with the environment on the moon, where temperatures fluctuate far above and below those experienced on Earth.

It's a bizarre thing to read, but the mission actually makes a lot of sense, laying the groundwork for other, future expeditions by offering a reliable network to tap into. While the end goal for some is human habitation, that might not be possible in the short term. But having a stable network to connect to could make it easier to install and operate other parts of the ecosystem that are required.